


Keeping Your Head Up

by StarrySkies282



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-13 14:52:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14114748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrySkies282/pseuds/StarrySkies282
Summary: Ezekiel basically comforts Cass in the Library





	1. Chapter 1

She was in the reading room when the phone call came. The number was still saved on her phone despite the years of silence that followed the last call.

“Hello,” Cassie answered, trying to clear her voice from any sign of surprise, all while her hands shook.

He didn’t mean to overhear, he was just passing through. But when he heard her pick up the phone, he realised he couldn’t leave without making himself shown. And then that would be awkward. Ezekiel wondered, as he waited there amongst the books, how he always managed to end up in these situations.

But then he heard her voice, sharp as he’d never heard it before: “No. I cannot come back. You shunned me, made me an outcast after the diagnosis. Took away any chance of a future I had. With those few words, you obliterated any opportunity I had of college. All because now I didn’t suit your image. And now you want me _back_. Because now I can be your exceptionally clever yet exceptionally normal _daughter_.”

He heard the vehemence, the anguish and the no doubt years of pent up frustration in every syllable she uttered and clenched his fists, anger flowing through him. Anger towards the man on the other end of the phone. The man who was supposed to be her father. Ezekiel may not have grown up with a father but he sure as hell knew that _that_ was _not_ how one was supposed to act.

“Stop!” He heard her cry out. “You made that decision all those years ago. What did you think was going to happen? Did you hope I would just _die_?”

Cassandra paused, and Ezekiel guessed her father was saying something; but the pause didn’t last very long: “Don’t call me _Cassie_. You lost that right when you began to pretend I didn’t exist. And if you still think you can, there must be something seriously warped about the way you think. I struggled trying to keep my head above the debt. The rent, the medical bills. I had to manage it all myself. I was _fifteen_.”

Another pause.

“No. I’m not asking you for money. In the past I have, and you’ve ignored me, so don’t stop now. You know something? I’ve made a life for myself now. I’m _choosing_ my life for once. I have friends—amazing friends I can rely on. People who understand, people who care, people I can _trust_ to have my back. People who are _tolerant_.”

And with her voice quavering dangerously on that last word, he heard her hang up. He heard her phone clatter to the ground, and he heard her succumb to sobbing.

He let out a heavy sigh, hoping it wouldn’t be heard. But he wasn’t quiet enough.

“Who’s there?” Sniffed Cassandra.

Ezekiel cursed himself.

“It’s only me, Cass,” he said, coming out of his place amongst the books.

“Did-did you hear everything?”

“I didn’t mean to, Cassie, truly I didn’t. I came in here and then you picked up the phone and then I didn’t know what to do so…” he trailed off, he wasn’t actually sure where he was going with this confession.

“It’s alright. Now you know my secret.” She smiled weakly.

Ezekiel extracted a crumpled tissue from his pocket and offered it to her. “You need it more than me,” he said, sitting down beside her and tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

“Thanks,” she said, still slightly shaky. “Actually, in a way, I’m kinda glad you heard… at least now I don’t have to hide away so much and pretend. Oh, how could he? He has the audacity after all these years to try and make me come back, with just a phone call. After the way they treated me.”

_So this was why she never spoke of her family._

“Oh, Cassie.” Ezekiel whispered. “Listen to me. I’ve learnt that the people who stick around when things go wrong are the ones that matter. The ones you can trust. It may not be my place to sat but if they weren’t willing to deal with, to support you when you were at your worst—in a crappy situation, then they are not worthy of you.”

“Sometimes I wonder,” she said, steadying her voice, “whether maybe part of this was my fault. Whether I was a bad daughter. Maybe it was _me_ who pushed _them_ away. Maybe I am the selfish, uncaring, ungrateful person they see me as. Maybe it would have been better if—”

Ezekiel cut her off, knowing what she was about to say. He wouldn’t let it get to that.

“Cassandra. You’re amazing. You know about science and maths and magic. You have the whole universe in your head and a heart just as big. It wouldn’t be the Library without you. Here, you’re with the people who care for you, who you can trust, who will fight by your side. And of course, you’re lucky enough to know me,” joked Ezekiel.

Cassandra smiled at that. A real, genuine smile. A smile that Ezekiel thought was better than the light of a thousand suns.

“That’s better,” he said soothingly. “Now, what you need is a cup of tea and the next chapter of the Philosopher’s Stone,” he finished, smiling, and taking her by the hand, he led her out of the reading room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezekiel tries to fix things

It was late when he left her room. She was asleep, and hopefully, thought Ezekiel, more consoled.

There was just one thing he had left to do.

The Annex was deserted when he sat down with his laptop. It wasn’t hard for Ezekiel to find him. He was practically everywhere on the internet if you knew where to look. And of course, Ezekiel knew.

He entered the few details he needed.

_Jeez_ thought Ezekiel. He knew her father was rich but he never knew he was _this_ rich. It just made his failings even worse. Ezekiel cracked his knuckles. He justified himself: he wasn’t _stealing_ , this was just… redistributing wealth.

One click and the transfer would be complete.

He saw Cassandra’s bag, hanging from one of the pegs beside the back door. Her card. So she’d have a statement—proof. Despite it being so late, he looked around him and listened for any sound, praying Jenkins was asleep or far away—he had a horrid habit of catching Ezekiel in his night time antics.

Deciding it was safe, Ezekiel connected the back door to a place he knew had an ATM machine and stepped out briefly into the night.

-

He knocked softly at her door the next morning with a mug of tea, a slip of paper and the breakfast pastries he knew she had a weakness for, balanced on a tray.

“How’re you doing?” He asked, setting the tray down beside her.

“Better than—before,” she said, sipping the tea.

“Ezekiel, what’s this?” She asked suddenly, picking up the paper. “Why is there $92,000 more than there should be in my account. You didn’t—”

“Relax Cassie. He won’t know. He won’t ever find out.” Ezekiel said quietly. “Besides, you deserve it and he wasn’t exactly doing anything useful with it. And actually, he’s been avoiding his taxes by hiding money in offshore accounts for years so…”

“You stole my college fund as justification.”

“Yep, pretty much. It’s also matured a bit.”

To his surprise, Cassandra laughed and fixed her bright blue eyes on him. “Thanks,” she whispered, kissing him lightly. Gentle. Delicate. but she pulled away before he could respond.

"Oh, you know, just doing my job," he smiled.

"I just hope Baird doesn't find out."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed x  
> Also it’s kinda my headcanon that Ezekiel introduces Cassandra to Harry Potter


End file.
